1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates to a method for processing an image of a region of a human or animal body and device for implementing said method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the field of medical imaging, images of regions in a human or animal body are frequently taken to prepare subsequent medicinal treatment or surgical operations. The observed regions are most often vascularized with blood acting as carrier fluid from one organ or region to another by propagating through body vessels. In some cases, a practitioner wishes to direct a medicinal product towards a target in the region, for example, in order to eradicate a localized tumour. Alternatively, it is sometimes necessary to cut off the supply of blood to some diseased targets of the region in order to remove them.
X-ray imaging is conventionally used to take images of regions in the human body. However, X-rays primarily allow the viewing of hard structures in the body e.g. bones. To obtain an image of vessels of the body such as blood vessels (veins, arteries, etc.), it is necessary to inject a product opaque to X-rays such as iodine. Thus, the image obtained gives a certain visualization of the vessels and their mapping for the practitioner. However, because of the small diameter of some vessels (e.g. capillaries) and the limited resolution of imaging techniques, some vessels are not visible in the image. Therefore, the region to be treated may be separated from the portal chosen by the practitioner by multiple vessels not shown in the image.
Because of the above mentioned issues, the practitioner cannot plan surgical treatment or the injection of medicinal products with accuracy. In addition, the images do not produce reliable, precise visualization of vessel mapping in the observed region. Furthermore, the obtained images are static, which does not produce information regarding the propagation of blood in the region. Yet, propagation dynamics are crucial, notably in applications involving the injection of therapeutic substances.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a method and a device that can improve knowledge of vessel mapping and of propagation dynamics in the observed region.